Iowa Department of Education Director Brad Buck announced the next group of school districts chosen to launch local teacher leadership plans through Iowa’s new Teacher Leadership and Compensation System.

Clemencia Spizzirri, whose passion for helping students and families stems from her own childhood in Ecuador, is the 2015 Iowa Teacher of the Year, Gov. Terry Branstad announced today at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines.

Teacher leader Mark Kenny, right, says Benton Community School District’s professional development has been streamlined through the teacher-leadership program, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Teacher leaders Cynda Mehlert, left, and Lois Deerberg look on.